Cell Booster Antenna's

[JeffEsch]

So Just curious if anyone has done or seen any comparison's between the different cell booster antenna's Wilson 311248, Wilson 311104, and the Weboost 314405 I've included picture's of each style below. Trying to find out if the 311248 is really any better in a mobile application then the other two types,

the 311428 has a rated gain of 4 dBi. The 311104 has a rated gain of 4Db and the 314405 has a rated gain of 3dBi.

I've seen the 311248 on alot of vehicles over the last few months. but other then getting elevated above the roof of a vehicle is it better then the other two when properly installed? i have a Surecall Fusion2Go booster currently being used with a roof mounted 314405 antenna which seems to work fine. just curious if the bigger antenna really means better, Or if it's just a bigger price tag.

weBoost NMO Antenna | 314405

The weBoost 314405 4G NMO Antenna is an ideal choice for vehicles requiring a permanent external antenna solution, such as fleet vehicles, luxury cars, or vehicles with non-compatible features for magnetic mounts like full roof sunroofs or aluminum bodies. This antenna covers all frequencies...

www.wilsonsignalbooster.com

weBoost Drive Overland Antenna | 311248

Enhance your remote adventures with the weBoost Drive Overland Antenna, a rugged, high-gain omnidirectional antenna designed to improve cellular signals across the 700, 800, 1700, 1900, and 2200 MHz bands. This ensures clear voice calls and uninterrupted data service wherever your travels take...

www.wilsonsignalbooster.com

Wilson 311104 Dual Band NMO Mount Antenna

The Wilson 311104 Dual Band NMO Mount Antenna is a high-quality, vehicle-use antenna designed for permanent installation. It's crafted to enhance signal reception and transmission for cellular mobile communications by connecting to a Wilson Electronics Signal Booster, which is sold separately...

www.wilsonsignalbooster.com

 

[mmckenna]

just curious if the bigger antenna really means better, Or if it's just a bigger price tag.

I've not used any of those, but I can tell you some of the "big antenna" stuff is just consumer image. "Bigger must mean better". The overlanding crowd really love those big Wilson antennas. Saw a lot of them in oilfields. I see a lot of contractors with them.

Not sure how they compare, but getting the antenna above the vehicle roof is almost always a good idea.

I used to have a booster in my old truck. I tossed the Wilson antenna that came with it and installed a permanent NMO antenna mount on the roof of the truck. I purchased a Larsen antenna that was designed for the cellular bands, and it worked very well, much better than I expected.

All of the Wilson antennas I've run across are pretty low quality. Might work fine, but I'd not trust one to last very long.

The other thing you need to consider is the location of the antenna in relation to the booster inside the vehicle. The thing that will kill these boosters is when they go into 'self oscillation" mode. They'll sense that and shut down to protect the cell site. Self oscillation is when the antenna outside the vehicle and the antenna inside the vehicle are too close to each other than it sets up an oscillation. Similar to audio feedback when you get a mic and a speaker too close.

Usually best to put the exterior antenna in the center of the roof. I'd not get too hung up on gain numbers, as some manufacturers are known to exaggerate them. I'd put your money into a permanent mount antenna on the roof and a good name brand antenna to go with it.

 

[JeffEsch]

I've not used any of those, but I can tell you some of the "big antenna" stuff is just consumer image. "Bigger must mean better". The overlanding crowd really love those big Wilson antennas. Saw a lot of them in oilfields. I see a lot of contractors with them.

Not sure how they compare, but getting the antenna above the vehicle roof is almost always a good idea.

I used to have a booster in my old truck. I tossed the Wilson antenna that came with it and installed a permanent NMO antenna mount on the roof of the truck. I purchased a Larsen antenna that was designed for the cellular bands, and it worked very well, much better than I expected.

All of the Wilson antennas I've run across are pretty low quality. Might work fine, but I'd not trust one to last very long.

The other thing you need to consider is the location of the antenna in relation to the booster inside the vehicle. The thing that will kill these boosters is when they go into 'self oscillation" mode. They'll sense that and shut down to protect the cell site. Self oscillation is when the antenna outside the vehicle and the antenna inside the vehicle are too close to each other than it sets up an oscillation. Similar to audio feedback when you get a mic and a speaker too close.

Usually best to put the exterior antenna in the center of the roof. I'd not get too hung up on gain numbers, as some manufacturers are known to exaggerate them. I'd put your money into a permanent mount antenna on the roof and a good name brand antenna to go with it.

thanks for the reply! I have my outside antenna NMO mounted towards the rear of my truck on the roof, with the interior antenna on the lower part of my center console near the dash. for reference I drive a crew cab RAM pickup.

Like you said I've started seeing the big antenna's everywhere. i just don't know if having one is any better then a properly mounted antenna of any other type or brand. $119 is a ton of money.

 

[mmckenna]

A good antenna over a good ground plane, like a crew cab truck roof, is probably going to work better than just about anything else. The only benefit I can imagine for the big Wilson antenna is for those that won't do a permanent install and just want to bolt something on quickly.

 

[exkalibur]

I have this one on mine, and it's worked very well for me. There are likely better options, but I wanted something fairly low-profile as well as parking garage/car wash friendly.

weBoost 3.4" Magnet Mount Antenna (SMA-Male) - 311216

Get the weBoost 311216 3.4" Magnet Mount Antenna (SMA-Male) for enhanced mobile signal reception. Perfect for improving connectivity while on the move.

wilsonamplifiers.ca

 

[mmckenna]

I ran an older version of this antenna on my truck:

Larsen SLPT698/2170NMOHF - Dual Band Special Mobile Antennas

Manufacturer: Larsen; Model #: SLPT698/2170NMOHF; Dual Band 698-960 / 1710-2500 Antenna; Frequency (MHz): 698-960 / 1710-2500; SLPT (Shadow Low Profile

theantennafarm.com